GOOD MORNING, METROPOLIS!
by Ballyuk
Summary: A slight revision of the final scene of 9x06 (Crossfire), as Clark and Lois are handed their live television debut as presenters of the new morning show. A tale of live television, online dating, cake making and cherry flavoured lip balm!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: With the descriptions of the workings of live television, I am totally winging it so forgive me for any inaccuracies. Also, in case readers are not aware, Mary Berry was (until very recently) a co-host/judge on the popular UK foodie show 'Great British Bake Off'. I figured that a popular US equivalent would have their own show rather than guesting on a daytime slot elsewhere, so I went with a foreign equivalent instead. I haven't seen enough of her to offer a valid comparison to Smallville's Martha Kent but the idea worked well for the story.**

* * *

 **GOOD MORNING, METROPOLIS!**

* * *

As he walked into the building, he had no idea how to handle this. He hoped it would take a bit of time to make his way down to the bullpen but no such luck. It was as if everybody in the building was out chasing a story. _Oh well, if it has to be now, it has to be now._

Clark felt that he'd lost his chance with Lois when he saw how close she and Oliver still were, but he didn't realise that she'd moved on definitively from the blonde billionaire and that they would remain as nothing more than close friends. He needed to make a statement and show her how he really felt. The slow dance between them had gone on long enough and he couldn't take it anymore. If she rejected him, so be it. He'd be hurt but it would not be because he hadn't taken a chance. Chloe was right - this was about what _he_ wanted for once.

He slowly made his way to the bullpen but stopped at the doorway. Lois was on the phone and looking at some paperwork while taking notes. She had her back to him so she didn't know he was there. Judging by her posture and the excitement in her tone, it was a pleasant phone call. Those tended to be rare as more often than not, she'd be ranting at the poor sap on the line. Put that down to a chronic lack of patience when chasing a lead. She ended the call still upbeat.

He took a deep breath then cleared his throat to announce his presence.

She turned around and smiled. "Smallville, there you are! Have I got great news for you! I just got off the phone with the producer at KZXP and guess what, we are back on. Catherine Grant had to bail out at the last minute. I guess she had another PhD to cram in."

Clark had stepped closer as she was talking but stopped a few feet away. Before he could say anything or even return to his prior thoughts, Lois had rushed up to bear hug him, continuing her mile-a-minute babbling such was her giddiness. For a moment, it felt like the time he'd returned to work after several weeks away and been welcomed back enthusiastically by his partner.

"No time to waste. They're editing our dating videos and need us to do voiceovers ready for screening on Monday. They want us in the studio in about an hour."

"S-so, you really do want to go ahead with this," stammered Clark, fighting to gain some composure.

"Absolutely! You have to make sure to maintain a media profile now because newspaper reporting isn't enough nowadays. Plus, I get to rag on Ollie for being a jackass live on TV. I still can't believe he tried to pull the rug from under me. Sure fire way to get friend zoned buddy!," Lois continued, still giddy.

To Clark it seemed as though the entire bullpen had been lit up by the smile on her face, but he still raised his eyebrows at the last statement. She was _not_ getting back with Oliver. He did a little jig of delight inside but also had a feeling of trepidation because he'd now have to do a much better job of coming across as confident on live TV. She'd been mad at him during their audition for what she thought was the sabotaging of her new career, and even though they'd got the gig he realised he was on thin ice. Lois Lane could hold a grudge.

"Thank god for slow news days," spouted Clark as Lois grabbed her bag and jacket, and the two of them strode out of the bullpen to head to KZXP's studios.

* * *

"Two minutes everyone."

The crew were hard at work in preparation for the television debut of what the show's producer had dubbed "the new Hepburn & Tracy, or Regis & Kelly" on account of the chemistry between the pair. She had so enjoyed their bickering and obvious affection during their audition that she'd offered them the role on a 5-week trial run, covering a different day of the week each week. Although the show was going out on cable, the network still needed to appease advertisers and shareholders so the show needed to be a ratings winner. Being fronted by a highly watchable duo was seen as key to that so there were 4 other duos each tasked with the same thing, with the idea that the most popular pairing would get the gig full time based on an online poll as well as ratings after the 5-week trial period. Clark and Lois had been selected by the producer to cover the first Monday on air.

"Lois, you need to stop pacing and try to relax," suggested Clark in a supportive tone of voice, well aware of his partner's current agitation. He had a make-up girl giving his forehead a light powder coat and tidying up his hair as he sat on the snazzy couch. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and light blue tie. Under the studio lights, it brought out his baby blues and made him look dashing, for want of a better word.

Lois on the other hand, kept sitting down, then getting up and walking about as another make-up girl fought in vain to stay with her. She had butterflies in her stomach and hadn't dared eat anything all morning lest the onset of nausea made things messy. She was wearing a light yellow dress and had accessorised with a matching set of silver earrings, necklace and bracelet. Her hair was down past her shoulders and had waves running through it. Frantic or not, she looked gorgeous.

"That's easy for you to say, but I'm not the one who can't read the autocue. This is live TV Clark and if you screw up, you can't fix it. Oh, and we've got to tell viewers about the disaster that was my date with Ollie!" she ranted. Clark smiled and noted the change in attitude to talking about her date.

The sound check guy came over and handed them both earpieces which thankfully Clark knew how to operate and test this time. The sound check guy still winced a little at the memory when again helping to set Clark up, before testing the mics that were affixed to their clothes. All clear. The assistant director came up and placed a piece of paper on the table in front of them, indicating the different cameras the pair were to look at when prompted over their earpieces, and another crew member placed an empty coffee mug on the table in front of each of them, together with a small bowl of fruit and a plate of rather stale-looking French croissants - set props to convey a morning breakfast.

A yell went up - "30 seconds. Places everyone," - as the studio was an even more hectic hive of activity with crew members dashing here and there. The director asked the novice presenters to smile and enjoy themselves over their earpieces, and everybody cleared the set and got into position.

Clark gently adjusted his tie as Lois rubbed her sweaty palms on the seat of the couch. It was now or never.

The show's intro theme could be heard and a monitor on the side showed the opening titles which included footage of both Lois and Clark from when they were posing for publicity shots. "We are live in 5…4…3…" The '2' and '1' were mere hand signals and then a green light above the main camera went on.

Lois plastered on a beaming smile and announced, "Hi, and welcome to _Good Morning, Metropolis!_ I'm your host, Lois Lane…"

Clark chimed in with perfect timing, "…and I'm your co-host, Clark Kent."

"Together, we hope to make your mornings a little bit brighter," said Lois, getting into the swing of things.

Clark wasn't far behind. "That's right. And today, have we got a doozy of a show lined up for you." He widened his smile to hide the grimace over what he'd just had to read. Phrases like that were far from natural coming from him.

"On today's show, we'll be taking a detailed look at the positives and pitfalls of online dating," Lois continued as a monitor on the side showed a brief montage of Lois' and Clark's dates.

"Britain's Queen of Cakes - Mary Berry - will be showing me a few cheats and tips to save you time and money during the upcoming holidays," Clark followed on, as off-camera Lois hid a smirk. The montage was of Mary Berry on one of her UK shows.

"And the unusual craze that is sweeping the city right now: shiny lip balm!" Lois almost spluttered at the ridiculous idea, wondering for a brief moment where exactly in Metropolis such things caught on while also wondering how a sarcastic army brat had wound up on daytime television to utter such a phrase. A montage was played showing close-ups of different flavoured lip balms and various people on the streets trying them.

"But first, here's Jen Walker with the morning's latest. Jen?" said Clark, as the live feed cut to another studio where Jen and the news team had 4 minutes to give viewers a brief summary of the morning's headlines, plus a traffic update and a weather bulletin.

"Guys, that was a great start!" said the producer, practically running over. Both Lois and Clark smiled because it really had gone off without a hitch. "You were both bright, breezy and on point. Exactly what is needed to start the show," She walked behind them and put a hand on each shoulder.

"We're just taking a commercial break after the news segment, and then we'll be rolling with the online dating segment. You guys just have to read off the autocue when prompted, but most of it will be footage from your dates plus the voiceovers you recorded last week. A bit of banter when talking about your dates is OK too." She gave them a thumbs-up and went back to her station.

* * *

Oliver stood, hands in pockets, in the middle of his office in the LuthorCorp building having just concluded a meeting with the legal team of a construction company that Queen Industries was in the process of buying. He didn't actually care for the company as an asset but it was a strategic move to prevent one of his competitors from stealing a march on Queen Industries when another large urban development was up for tender.

He switched on the large flatscreen in the lounge area beside his office and sat down on one of the plush leather couches, sipping from a bottle of water as he turned to the channel hosting a certain morning TV show. As the opening credits rolled, he thought wistfully about how he'd wanted Lois back in his life as more than friends again, and that she'd turned him down. She did let him down gently but it still hurt. He knew about her long-held feelings for Clark and had even encouraged her to go for it over a year ago, and he bore no ill will towards Clark as he was a decent man whose heart was in the right place, and who would certainly treat her right. Clark really could offer her what she needed even though he obviously lacked Oliver's wealth, and he knew Lois was somebody Clark absolutely needed in his life. Besides, Oliver was still battling his demons and did not want Lois to have to share that burden and the aftermath of his frequent screw-ups. No, it was better this way.

He watched with interest, partly hoping it would be a disaster but mostly hoping his friends would do well, but he almost did a spit-take when he heard Clark talk about baking cakes. He'd laughed at the very notion when he'd spoken to Lois last week but now it was actually happening. He buzzed his secretary to inform her to hold all calls for the next hour as he now didn't want to miss this show. _It's a shame it's only the morning otherwise this would totally be a popcorn moment!_


	2. Chapter 2

The crew retook their positions and were ready to return from the commercial break, and the presenters were ready to go again.

Lois began, "Hi and welcome back. We have a great show in store, and we'll begin with something many of you out there will be familiar with. It seems that more and more of us are increasingly foregoing the traditional route to finding our Mr or Mrs Right, and instead heading online. There are a number of sites professing to find you your perfect match and all you have to do is provide a few key details about yourself."

Clark followed up, "Yes, and while it takes some of the mystery out of dating because you know more about the other person before even meeting them, how much more successful is your date likely to be, and will you really find that perfect person for you?" He and Lois stole a brief glance at one another as he said that last part.

Lois again. "To find out, the producers asked us to fill out our own dating profiles and then go on a date with the person we felt would be a good match for us. Here's how it went."

The monitor cut to a pre-recorded segment which showed first Clark approaching and sitting down at the café, followed by Lois arriving at and then being seated at a table at the Ace of Clubs. The two then contributed voiceovers to proceedings.

 _Clark (VO): I decided a café would be the perfect stress-free environment for my date - the less formal the date, the more relaxed we could be._

Footage was played of Catherine meeting Clark and shaking his hand before he helped her to her seat. Clips of their actual conversation were overlaid with Lois' snarky probing over his earpiece, including her comment which prompted him to reply about an annoying ringing noise.

 _Clark (VO): It was going well. Catherine had led a very interesting life and was very sweet, and I found her to be really easy company. We chatted about my life growing up on a farm and my work as a Daily Planet reporter. It was a lot of fun but I think we both felt that it would never amount to anything more than friendship. We agreed to keep in touch though._

The footage cut to the end of the date where both Clark and Catherine stood up smiling, and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The green light in the studio went back on as we were back live.

Clark was sat tight lipped with an 'oh well' expression but when he glanced over to Lois, she had a teasing smirk. His face dropped slightly as he waited for the onslaught.

"So Clark, it looked like it was going very well. Do you think it was the mention of flannel that caused things to tail off at the end there?"

He rose to the bait, knowing that the right reply would get the desired response from her. "Well, she didn't mind the idea of a flannel shirt, and as for the idea of a guy working up a sweat bailing hay out there in the sun? A lot of women love that sort of thing, judging by the numbers of replies to my profile." He offered a winning smile for the cameras.

Lois felt herself flush and hoped it wasn't showing. She had to get that the image of him working up a sweat out of her head. Before she could muster a response, Clark continued talking to the camera. "I guess at the end of the day, learning about the other person and getting to know them over time is a better way to create a solid basis for any relationship."

Lois wasn't going to be outdone. "So ladies, Clark here is still on the market so form an orderly queue." The producer's jaw dropped because the segment was going off script even though Clark and Lois had been told they could vamp a little bit when discussing their dates.

Clark had seen it coming and was ready though. "As are you Lois, judging by how things went on your date." He was going to add some more snark but the director cut to the video of Lois' date and her accompanying voiceover.

She was sat at the table in the Ace of Clubs, taking sips of champagne while waiting for her date.

 _Lois (VO): My date's name was Paul and he was medical student and a former high school quarterback. A serious injury had put paid to his career in football but his injury had piqued his interest in sports science. As we'll see though, it wasn't Paul who showed up._

The footage of the date continued with the flirty banter between her and Clark over their earpieces, before Oliver showed up. Lois' bamboozlement, nervousness and then bemusement were all evident on the screen. The date was turning into a disaster. The footage continued to show Oliver laying his cards on the table, before Lois got up and led him away by the arm. The director then cut back to the studio.

Clark had a smirk on his face as Lois sat there clearly embarrassed. It was bad enough to have had a disastrous date but for it to be shown on live TV was mortifying. He piped up, "Well that could have been worse!"

Lois gathered herself, went off script again and decided to tell viewers what had happened. "Well, what the viewers don't know is that Oliver Queen and I had been together a couple of years ago. He somehow found out about my date," she didn't mention that it was her that had told him about it, "and decided to tell Paul it wasn't happening because I wasn't well. Then he came to the restaurant as my 'date' and blindsided me."

As the camera was on Lois, the viewers wouldn't have seen Clark's look of surprise at how much Oliver had irritated Lois that night.

"I guess one of the pitfalls of online dating is that billionaire ex-boyfriends can also see your online profile and use their contacts to find out about your plans," she added, fighting to keep her annoyance at bay.

* * *

Oliver had been watching, riveted, and was left stunned first by how well the pair's banter was coming across on TV, and then by how he was now being portrayed as a douche by Lois. "Hey come on, you're meant to be my friend Lois!"

* * *

The producer was about ready to have a fit, so the director informed them over their earpieces to wrap up the segment before they went to another commercial break. Clark was prepared and jumped on the autocue.

"Online dating then…it's not for everybody. Coming up after the break, I'll be meeting with Mary Berry and discussing cheats for cake baking."

Lois was back in her groove, "And I'll be discussing the shiny lip balm craze sweeping Metropolis!" as she plastered on the best smile she could muster. The director cut to the commercial break. The assistant director asked them to head over to a tall glass table on one side of the set where a selection of shiny lip balms had been arranged as the crew prepared to set up Lois for her segment later on.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! That was a disaster. I'm supposed to be hosting a morning show but instead I end up hosting car crash TV," Lois whined loudly.

"Lois, it really wasn't that bad, and if anything it showed how online dating can be pretty precarious," offered Clark, although he knew it had made Lois look terrible. He didn't want to see her confidence shot to pieces and wanted very much to be in her good books. He rubbed her upper arm in a comforting gesture.

"Smallville, I looked like a complete idiot there, and that was _after_ all their editing wizardry. How could this be any worse?"

"Well, they could have asked _you_ to bake a cake and _me_ to talk about lip balm," he said, with raised eyebrows.

Lois sighed and let out a chuckle, shaking her head, and Clark saw her visibly relax as he still had his hand on her arm. Both then noticed it and looked at it before looking at each other. Clark took his hand away and busied himself by adjusting his tie again, and Lois turned away smiling with a slight blush. Both had obviously felt the same spark that had been there when he'd stopped her from playfully punching him on the arm a few weeks ago. She playfully punched him on the arm this time, her eyes smiling a silent "Thank you".

The assistant director came over again and Clark was asked to head towards the kitchen on the other side of the set where Mary Berry was having last-minute touches applied and discussing how to show the basic cake batter ingredients, a tray of uncooked batter plus the cakes that were being kept warm in the oven behind her. Just as he was about to head over there, the shiny red hue from one of the lip balms caught his eye, triggering alarm bells. The last time he was made aware of a cosmetic product with this red hue, it had turned out to contain red Kryptonite and caused a lot of trouble.

He stepped out of earshot of everybody and called Chloe.

"Hey, if it isn't the King of Daytime TV himself," she answered in a chirpy tone having clearly been watching the show.

"Chloe, this needs to be quick. Do you remember the red-k lipstick from Valentine's Day?" he asked, and upon Chloe's affirmative, continued. "Well, the lip balm we have on the show is a local product of the same type that was imported from Japan and became popular over here. Lois is going to be discussing it on the show, but I'm worried that…"

Chloe cut in, "…it might be laced with meteor rock? Clark, it's possible. Do you need me to look into it?"

"I was hoping you'd say that. As I'm on live, can you leave me a text message? Thanks Chloe," he replied before ending the call and heading over to make small talk with Mary.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe fired up her vast bank of Watchtower computers and began tracking the origins of the shiny lip balm. She looked at the original Japanese version and found that the colours were derived from dyes made from crushed insects. This was nothing new to her as she knew this to be how many different products got their colour. The local product was manufactured at a factory on the outskirts on Metropolis and a quick hack into their research archive showed no evidence that meteor rock was involved. The colours were derived in a similar manner to their Japanese variants, albeit with different insects involved. She did learn however that there were insect farms created solely for the purpose of breeding insects to be crushed to produce dyes. Morals and ethics clearly had no place in the drive for profits.

* * *

The make-up girl had once again descended on Clark ready to add touch-ups. He sat on a chair as she proceeded to tidy him up, but his attention was all on Lois. _How does she manage to look even hotter when all flustered?_ The make-up girl noticed his far away expression and glazed over baby blues, and decided to ask what she'd been thinking ever since the pair had arrived at the studio. "Are you guys actually going out?"

Clark zoned back in immediately. "S-sorry. What did you say?"

"You and Lois. Are you guys together?" she repeated in hushed tones.

"What? No!" he answered rather forcefully, startling her a little, before adding in a more gentle tone, "No, we're not."

"Oh, I thought you were because you guys are so couple-y," she added, and upon noticing his embarrassment, looked away embarrassed too. She'd finished applying his finishing touches so she got up and said "All done!" in a squeakier voice than she'd wanted before scurrying away. Clark wondered how obviously his infatuation was coming across if strangers were also pointing it out to him.

He went over to be introduced to Mary. He'd never heard of her but was assured that she was a household name in the UK, starring in numerous popular cooking shows and with a range of books to her name. She was a big deal in the culinary world.

"It's nice to meet you Mary. I'm Clark Kent," he added by way of introduction.

"Likewise dear," she replied. "Don't worry, I know that you're both new to this but I'll keep things simple. It's not really a cheat but I just want to put across the idea that it takes less effort than people realised, and the final outcome will be appreciated more than anything you can buy ready-made."

They continued to chat and Clark remarked that Mary would get along famously with his mother as they shared the same interests. He also playfully suggested that Martha Kent would take over the world if she ever decided to do her own cooking shows, which raised a laugh from Mary and put Clark more at ease again. Lois had been looking over and found herself wondering why Clark seemed to be taking to this presenting gig like a duck to water. He was supposed to be a bumbling farmboy.

The producer had walked over to Lois to give her a few words of encouragement given how evident it was that Lois had thought she'd crashed and burned during the online dating segment, but noticing that Lois kept eyeing Clark she decided to change tack.

"You know, when I said that you and Clark had chemistry, I really meant it. You really like him don't you?"

"A lot of people say things like that, but how do you see it?" Lois replied, still glancing over at her co-host.

"Well, you guys have a rapport that's hard to fake. You banter, flirt and bicker so naturally it never seems forced or spiteful. There is affection between you both that really comes across and that is something that makes shows like this tick. You really like each other and care about each other. People want to see things like that perhaps more than they want to know about cakes or shiny lip balm. Those are just a vehicle for the chemistry to flourish."

Lois pondered this for a moment. "Thanks. While I agree we make a great team and get on surprisingly well, it's never going to amount to more than that. There's just too much baggage and acting on any impulses could jeopardise our friendship. It may not surprise you to know that I can very easily fall out with people, so I value those friendships I do have as it shows those people really do care enough to still want to stick around."

"Lois, you're too hard on yourself. You are a go-getter but when it comes to matters of the heart, you're holding back. Don't let what's come before cloud over what could come tomorrow. Go after what you really want, and don't worry about it huh?"

Lois smiled and nodded at the producer, instantly feeling much better than she had for the last quarter of an hour. "Wise words huh, Dr Phil?"

The producer chuckled. "Lois, I might be a producer of fluffy television shows on cable networks but my real forte is reading people. Over the years I've learned what makes people tick and what brings them down and if I can help them into the right frame of mind, it makes for a better show. I might have to consider the end game and ratings all the time, but understanding and taking care of the little things is what makes it worth the effort." She gave Lois a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading back to her place as the cameras were ready to roll for Clark's segment. Lois watched on.

"Welcome back to _Good Morning, Metropolis!_ Now, the holiday season will soon be upon us and that means friends and family and lots of food. It's also a lot of hard work so most of us take the easy option and buy it all in. We lead busy lives and can't spare the time it takes to do some of it ourselves. Well, there are some cheats out there that mean you can have all you want with just a little effort and a bit of planning, and here to show us a few tips and tricks is Britain's queen of baking herself, Mary Berry. Mary, welcome."

The segment almost went without a hitch as a selection of cake recipes were shared by Mary and presented in a way that showed viewers that they didn't need to slave over an oven for days to create goodies for everyone to enjoy. Lois noticed Mary's easy manner and was also reminded of Martha Kent by Mary's obvious passion for her subject.

The hitch came when Clark was asked to spray some whipped cream atop one of the cakes. It was only for a split second but as he removed the can lid, he glanced over to Lois who was looking at him with what could best be described as lovestruck googly eyes. It was only a moment but it caused him to press the trigger a little too firmly which sent a squirt of whipped cream over a handful of cakes and over the kitchen counter to the studio floor. Right in Lois' direction. Though she was well clear of the sprayed cream, the metaphor was not lost on him. He blanched for a moment before apologising to Mary, who found the whole thing amusing but was ever the professional. Clark glanced over to Lois briefly again and saw her laughing.

The home viewers and indeed all of the crew would not have seen the context for Clark's mishap so it only came across as a minor technical glitch on TV, so if there was any real disappointment it was to be found with Oliver who was really hoping for Clark to be dressed up in an apron at least.

The segment ended and Clark was rewarded with a hug from Mary and a pat on the back from the director, who was heading for a quick bathroom break while the next set of commercials were on. Clark walked away from the kitchen set and headed towards Lois, who was going through her final prep for the lip balm segment to follow.

"Hey there Emeril, you really knocked it out of the park with that one."

Clark smiled. "Yeah, I thought it went great except for when my finger slipped."

Lois laughed. "Of course, _that's_ what happened," before adding, "It's funny. When I first told Oliver we would be hosting on daytime TV, he joked about watching you showing viewers how to bake a cake. If he's watching right now, I'll bet he's laughing away at just how right he was!"

The make-up girl had come over again to work on Lois. Clark wondered why because she really didn't need it. The studio lights might highlight any imperfections hence why these touch-ups are so regular, but Lois was just radiant regardless. Clark's thoughts drifted to the bullpen a few days earlier when he was just watching her talking on the phone. He could really lose himself just watching her. He'd done so only minutes earlier and got caught out. He cleared his throat.

"I'm told those lip balms are flavoured and that they have glitter in them. Why would they do that?" he asked, genuinely incredulous.

"Well Smallville, apart from preventing dryness, I guess people really like sweet shiny lips." She'd looked quickly at him only to find he'd taken a momentary glance at her lips before looking at her face again. He didn't realise he'd done so, but she did. Fixing a smile, she added, "There are apparently dozens of flavours to choose from, but they've brought in cherry and vanilla."

Clark's eyes went wide before he cleared his throat again. "I guess I'll never understand these things," he said, suddenly nervous again. Seeing the commotion as everyone took their positions, he wished Lois good luck and went to stand on the side. He remembered his brief chat with Chloe and checked his phone. She'd left him one message which read:

 _All OK. Lip balm made in Metropolis. No meteor rock._

He replied back with an 'OK Thanx', closed his phone and took his place on the side, stood beside the producer. The commercial break had ended and they were back live again.


	4. Chapter 4

Lois introduced the segment and her special guest, who was a trend expert brought in to try and explain why the lip balm was a must-have accessory right now. There was a brief discussion about how the trend had carried over from Japan, and about how it was seemingly popular with teenage girls and boys alike. Clark rolled his eyes at that bit but he could not take his eyes off Lois. Footage of people on the streets trying the lip balms was played, as seen in the montage at the top of the show. Part of the segment called for Lois to try one of the lip balms and she chose the cherry one as the hue was closer to her own lipstick. Clark watched her slowly apply it and stared dumbstruck as it gave her lips a glittery sheen. Her smile to the camera only amplified the effect. She was irresistable.

If Clark had still been getting to grips with controlling his heat vision, he might have found himself torching the set right about now. As it was, his mind was telling him to calm down but his body was telling him he had to have Lois and her lips right now. Before anyone had realised what was happening, Clark had made his way over to where Lois was standing. She had briefly turned her back to him as she placed the lip balm back on the table, so was more than a little bit surprised when she felt a hand on her arm spin her around.

She looked up to see Clark in front of her and could only get out, "Clark, wh-" before he'd cupped her face in his hands and planted one on her. Her eyes went wide in shock, before she slowly melted and kissed him back, putting her hands around his neck as he moved his down to her waist. Both were caught up in the moment, live on TV no less, as everybody in the studio looked on, mouths agape. The trend expert had slowly stepped out of the way and out of shot.

This was what they both needed. It was catharsis. For so long, Clark and Lois had been dancing around one another, fearful of making the definitive first move, fearful of what it would mean for their friendship and fearful of getting hurt. Clark had thought about this moment so often, particularly since Lois had returned after her unexplained 3-week absence. Lois had first felt like this much sooner, going back to when she caught Clark with the crazy nympho Maxima in the Daily Planet elevator. Catching them together had stirred a jealousy within her and brought it to the surface in a way she'd never expected. They had both come so close to this moment way back at Chloe's wedding. The long wait and all that they'd been through in that time had come to a head right now, so this kiss was one of hunger, desire and need. It was also riveting television for the viewers.

When they eventually parted, both had a faint smile on their faces and both were flushed. Lois was totally in a daze and Clark was the more lucid of the two. He realised they were being filmed and turned to the camera, smiling sheepishly and commenting, "I do like a bit of wild cherry!" with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Lois hadn't heard that because she was so dazed she couldn't actually see or hear anything.

The director cut to the final commercial break. Clark and Lois looked at each other again and he piped up first. "Lois, I-" but she cut him off by saying, "Clark, we need to talk," blinking a few times to rid herself of her daze. He nodded and they finally let go of each other, looking around at everybody and turning red. The crew was a mixture of shocked faces, big smiles, thumbs-ups and confusion.

Before anything else could be said, the assistant director came over to inform them that they were to stand back in the kitchen with their studio guests and prepare for the end credits segment. Both Clark and Lois quickly regained their composure and completed their final segment which was basically to tell viewers about tomorrow's show and thank their studio guests whilst sharing coffee and cakes with them as the end credits rolled. Clark even got to tell viewers that he and Lois would be back in 9 days with their special guest, the film director John Landis, which allowed him to vamp with "See You Next Wednesday," a pun he grinned gleefully to. After that, the director called a wrap.

A loud cheer went up and everybody was clapping, hugging and high-fiving because the show that had actually turned out successfully - a couple of minor hitches and a big surprise aside. Lois and Clark's phones had been buzzing constantly with text messages and voicemails from Oliver and Chloe, and Clark even got messages from Dinah and Bart. Both were surprised to hear voicemails of congratulations from Tess. The producer had provided a post-show brunch which everybody was heartily tucking into. Lois pulled Clark to one side and asked why he'd decided to do what he did on live TV.

"Smallville, I get that this has been building for some time now, but why did you decide to do it during the show?"

"Lois, I wasn't planning on doing that while we were on live, but I just got caught up in the moment. I've wanted to do that for so long now. In fact, I wanted to do that right before you told me that we were back on for this gig."

"Oh," she replied, before laying her head into his chest and teasing, "So, the farmboy has finally seen the virtues of wild cherry then?"

Clark felt so free and happy right now that he could tease back just as easily. "Well, with me being all trendy and modern as you know, I prefer wild cherry and think it will endure for a long while yet. Vanilla is sweet an' all but it belongs in the past."

"A bit like flannel then."

"I know you still like a bit of flannel Lois," he replied, to which she scoffed.

They stayed like that as everybody continued to enjoy their brunch and a successful debut for the channel's new morning show.

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
